motorboat of the year 2015

Recognized as the best overall among winners in 12 lifestyle categories, the Ford Mustang also won as “Best Sport Coupe.”  All Drivers’ Choice winners are featured on Motorweek.org , as well as on a special episode (#3424) of MotorWeek airing on public television stations beginning February 13, 2015, and on cable’s Velocity beginning February 24, 2015. MotorWeek and the 2015 Drivers’ Choice Awards are nationally sponsored by RockAuto, Tire Rack, and DieHard .

The MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards are consumer focused and represent the best automotive picks within a large range of lifestyles. MotorWeek’s editorial staff evaluates more than 150 cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles per year,  and winners are chosen based on driving dynamics, performance, technology, practicality, fuel efficiency and dollar value.

2015 Drivers’ Choice Winners:

Best Small Car                                                                                  Volkswagen Golf/GTI

Best Family Sedan                                                                           Subaru Legacy

Best Convertible                                                                              BMW 4 Series Convertible

Best Luxury Sedan                                                                         Cadillac CTS

Best Sport Sedan                                                                            Dodge Charger

Best Sport Coupe                                                                            Ford Mustang

Best Performance Car                                                                   Alfa Romeo  4C

Best Small Utility                                                                             Nissan Murano

Best Large Utility                                                                             Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban

                                                                                                            GMC Yukon/Yukon XL

Best Pickup Truck                                                                           Ford F-150

Best Eco-Friendly                                                                            Kia Soul EV

Beast Dream Machine                                                                   Audi RS7

                                                                                                             BMW i8

                                                                                                            Ferrari LaFerrari

MotorWeek is one of the nation’s leading sources for the latest car and truck reviews, do-it-yourself car care tips and auto industry news. Produced by Maryland Public Television, the award-winning series is now in its 34th season. MotorWeek currently airs on PBS, Velocity, and V-me Spanish-language network. Full episodes can also be viewed on pbs.org.

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2015 Motorcycle of the Year

Motorcycle of the Year: Indian Scout

What’s this? A cruiser claims the Motorcycle of the Year title even though we’ve called 2015 the year of the Superbike? Yes, it might provoke a little cognitive dissonance until you think a little further. First, because the Indian Scout was introduced at Sturgis this time last year, many riders mistakenly thought of it as a 2014 model. To qualify for a MOBO, a motorcycle must be on sale to the public prior to the nominating process at the end of each July, and the Scout wasn’t available until late last year. Additionally, our MOTY must be something special, and the Scout is more than just a class-beating cruiser.

Best Cruiser Of 2015

First, the Scout shows that Indian is in the motorcycle production game for the long haul and that its parent company, Polaris , has the willingness – and the ability – to continue to invest in growing the marque into a potential challenger to that other huge American cruiser brand. For example, developing an engine is the most costly process in producing a new motorcycle, and having Indian release its second created-from-scratch powerplant in just two years speaks of the commitment and the understanding on Polaris’ part that it will take years to recoup the expenditure. Lets just say that, after decades of being the name of a former motorcycle manufacturer, the Indian brand has some unfinished business in the American-made cruiser market. We look forward to watching this play out.

2015 Indian Scout First Ride Review

Then there’s that little thing about the choice to move beyond being just another tribute band playing massaged versions of the Indians of yore. Yes, the Chief models are a look back at the classic Indian motorcycles through modern cruiser spectacles. Yet, when the Scout steps onto the stage, with its liquid-cooled engine and plainly visible die-cast aluminum frame, and announces it is the Indian of the 21st century, we know that the company is looking ahead to what the Indian line can be and not just counting on the golden oldies.

Hardware isn’t the only new material that Indian is performing before the riding public. The Scout’s $10,999 price tag undercut all of the competitors in our shootout and scored higher on quality than those six bikes, some costing several thousand dollars more. The fact that an American motorcycle can be manufactured domestically and sold at a class-beating MSRP, while still delivering a premium feel, in a time when many of the majors are looking to developing Pacific Rim countries for production savings should be praised.

Shootout At The MO Corral: A Bout With The Scout + Video

Additionally, having the ability to share resources with other Polaris-owned entities will, no doubt, prove to be beneficial to them all. To see an example of this, just take a look at Victory’s recent Project 156 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race bike that appears to use a Scout-based engine. Chief Editor Duke believes a version of that motor will power the next new Victory we see, as he theorizes here .

However, all of the lofty words about what the Scout portends for the Indian brand and Polaris’ future products recede into the background the moment the Scout’s starter button is thumbed. The Scout delivers strong performance in a lightweight chassis all wrapped in an attractive, yet non-traditional cruiser package – a fact that has caught the eye of riders who don’t necessarily want a retro motorcycle but are nonetheless looking to step in to the cruiser fold. Additionally, Indian somehow managed to provide premium fit and finish while still beating the price of the other cruisers in its class. For these reasons and more, the Indian Scout earns the title of 2015 Motorcycle of the Year.

Honorable Mention: Kawasaki Ninja H2

Kawasaki ’s radical H2 is undoubtedly a special motorcycle – there is nothing else in production like it, and it’s likely to stay that way for some time. The H2’s unique supercharged engine is clearly the headline here. Kawasaki’s aerospace division was able to develop a centrifugal blower that doesn’t require an intercooler, a feat that manufacturers of superchargers said was impossible. The exquisitely machined-from-billet impeller is like jewelry for gearheads, boosting the 998cc engine to 194 horsepower at its rear wheel. Its torque output is even more incredible, pumping out 92 lb-ft. of twist, considerably more than any other literbike.

We’ve heard some critics say they’d never pay $25,000 for a Kawasaki, but we’ve never heard someone say that while looking at the H2 in the flesh. Its fit and finish detailing is nothing less than stellar, drawing in eyes from its LED-headlight nose to its butt-cradling tailsection. Its mirror-finish paint (with a layer of pure silver) is unique in the motor-vehicle world, and its trellis frame is created from laser-cut and robotically welded tubes that are lovingly finished off by skilled human hands.

2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2 First Ride Review + Video

No matter where one looks, the H2 demonstrates the high level of quality usually found only on high-end exotics from Italy. Brakes are Brembo M50s, calipers that are as good as they get, while clutch and brake master cylinders are advanced radial plungers also from Brembo. The inverted fork keeps its air and oil separate – a system used here for the first time ever on a streetbike – to reduce stiction as much as possible. Wheels are brilliantly highlighted by machined accents, the rear proudly exposed by Kawasaki’s first-ever single-sided swingarm. Upon close inspection, the H2’s $25k MSRP almost seems like a bargain.

Kawasaki also upped its electronics game with the H2, providing not only adjustable traction control, but also launch control, Engine Brake Control and Kawi’s first-ever quickshifter. The H2 also styles with bespoke switchgear and slick LCD gauges.

The H2 might not be the ultimate track tool that some enthusiasts wish it could be, but it’s important to remember Kawasaki bills it as “the ultimate road-going motorcycle.” Imagine a burly Star VMAX with 20 hp extra and 160 fewer pounds! With the H2, you’re swinging the biggest club on the block.

We appreciate the audacity of building something as outrageous as a supercharged literbike, and we hold in high regard technological innovation that push the boundaries of what’s possible. The uniquely fantastic H2 is a landmark motorcycle that will forever be seen as special. It’s an instant collector’s item.

Motorcycle.com Best of 2015 Categories

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Join the conversation

I have rode Harley bobbers since the mid 60's. Now I'm in my mid 60's, A ridged frame and suicide shift are starting to wear on me! I will be taking A close look at this one! The price is great, I can still keep my bobber, and have something new comfortable look's great for A good price!

I'm 62, I ride a 14 year old ZRX1200 with a few modifications and a 2010 BMW S1000RR, stock except for a pipe. I have owned a lot of sport bikes: Bimota SB6, 916, 'Busa and R1 and the Indian Scout is the most likely purchase I would make right now. If it had a less forward location of the foot controls, I would have bought one already.

• See 2 previous

Agreed. I've always thought a new Scout should be more of a roadster than a cruiser. Pull back the pegs and push the bars forward.

Wow, from your perspective and background, that's great support for our choice! Let's all endorse riding whatever floats our boats!

Thanks, I don't care what you call what I ride, I ride for fun and a Scout is cool looking and 80hp is enough to be fun.

That said, I am going to look at a used 2013 Diavel that's for sale here locally tomorrow, only a few thousand more than a new Scout and nearly twice the power.

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2023 Motor Boat Awards winners: Best motorboats of the year revealed

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It has taken months of testing, weeks of analysing and days of deliberating amongst our judges but the 2023 Motor Boat Awards winners can now be revealed....

As always, we have chosen a winner in each of our ten categories based on how well the boat performed during our rigorous sea trials but also how well it meets the requirements of its target market in relation to its size, style and price.

In some categories, we have also awarded a Highly Commended, not because it’s the nearest runner-up but because the judges feel it has some exceptional talent or innovation that is worthy of recognition.

Last but not least, we’d like to thank Sleipner for once again partnering with us as the headline sponsor of the 2023 Motor Boat Awards and our category sponsors Garmin and The Moorings .

2023 Motor Boat Awards winners revealed

Customer service award.

Sponsored by Garmin

Approved Boats, Boats.co.uk, Gibbs Quay Boat Sales, Haven Knox-Johnston

Winner – Gibbs Quay Boat Sales

This is the only award that is open to nominations from members of the public. However, the judges base their decision not just on the number of nominations each company gets (as this would always favour bigger companies with more customers) but also on the quality of service provided to these customers.

This year, we had more nominations than ever before, with several previous winners making it through to our shortlist of finalists, proving that good customer service isn’t just a passing phase but permanently ingrained in the culture of the best companies.

This year’s winner also enjoys a long track record of looking after its customers and particularly of helping new buyers take their first tentative steps into boating – a daunting prospect for many. This is what a few of their recent customers had to say about them:

“The after-sales experience has totally matched the pre-sales experience, dealing with minor niggles and providing us with unlimited technical advice.” “They made us feel welcome from day one and had the patience of a saint as we chose our new boat. They are a credit to the marine industry.” “Excellent after-sales service, prompt and professional boat service and good advice given at all times.”

Sportsboats up to 30ft

Aquaspirit 585 ,  Iron Boats 827 ,  Quarken 27 T-Top ,  Ryck 280 ,  X Shore Eelex 8000

Winner – Quarken 27 T-Top

Quarken’s 27 T-Top is an object lesson in practical dayboat design. Proudly built in Finland, it uses a single Yamaha F300 outboard motor for a 43-knot top end and cruising efficiency only a shade over 1.5 litres per nautical mile.

It’s fun to drive, with a novice-friendly hull and an effective helm position with direct access to a ‘skipper’s cleat’ for single-handed work. And it looks cool too, with its sleek stepped hull, flared bow and contrasting tinted panels.

There’s also masses of storage on board and all of it is useable, thanks to sensible proportions, proper linings, dual access points and quick-lift one-handed cushions. But it’s the ease of movement that really hits home.

Even if you reverse the helm seats to integrate with the diners at the aft bench, you can still pass them freely on the starboard side. And when you reach the bow, whether the forward seats are rigged for dining or sunbathing, the step-through forepeak with offset anchor means you can still disembark without obstruction.

There’s no wet bar and the heads is an open-plan affair but if you want a proper open dayboat with a serviceable cuddy at a sensible price, this is a superb debut from Quarken.

Highly commended – Iron Boats 827

Fast, agile and well-priced, with a brilliant Mannerfelt hull and a cool military aesthetic, the Iron Boats 827 is one of the most entertaining boats you will ever drive.

Weekenders over 30ft

Aquila 32 ,  Duchy Sport ,  De Antonio D36 ,  Galeon 325 GTO ,  Jeanneau Cap Camarat 12.5 ,  Rand Escape 30

Winner – De Antonio D36

De Antonio has become well-known for its unique take on the outboard-powered weekender and its new D36 is a fine exponent of that approach. It uses a raised sunbed to cover its motors, with a clever transverse tender slot and a full inboard-style swim platform.

It counteracts that extra aft weight with a pair of hull extensions for extra buoyancy – and when you get the boat under way, that translates into the kind of flat-running 50-knot performance that thoroughly validates De Antonio’s way of doing things.

Further forward, there’s a central dining zone opposite a big transverse galley, with a pull-out cushion-topped coolbox that turns it into a dining station for ten. The bow adds another generous sunpad and yet, when you step down below, the calibre of the cabins is way beyond expectations for an open weekender.

There’s a central lounge, a starboard bathroom, a forward double berth with push-button convertibility and a huge full-beam mid-cabin that can be converted from a saloon to a second double in a matter of seconds.

With masses of user-friendly day space, versatile four-berth accommodation and whippet-like performance, this is a truly brilliant family weekender.

Highly commended – Jeanneau Cap Camarat 12.5

The imposing new 12.5 features a deepset cockpit, an expandable port terrace, twin or triple outboards for 45 knots and convertible sleeping for up to five.

Adventure Boats

Axopar 45 Cross Cabin ,  Viggo C8 ,  Wellcraft 355 ,  XO DFNDR 9

Winner – XO DFNDR 9

Very few boats under 30ft offer anything like as much all-round ability as the XO DFNDR 9. Slender and soft-riding, with raised hull sides and a lofty but deepset pilothouse, there is virtually no cruising ground where its practical but innovative walkaround layout wouldn’t excel.

You can slide it onto the beach for a party. You can spend the night in the comfy forward cabin. You can open up the aft end of the pilothouse and enjoy a relaxed sunbathe or a six-man lunch – and you can achieve precisely that same feat up in the bow.

Back in the pilothouse, the helm is superb, there’s ample standing headroom and visibility is also first class. But if you slide those vast glass side panels aft, you can also enjoy the DFNDR 9 in much the same way as an authentic open boat.

Having taken it across the Baltic, we can vouch for its performance too. With twin 225s on the transom, it’s fast, frugal and beautifully balanced.

The fact that it’s built like a tank and looks like a film star is just the crowning glory for an all-action adventure boat that proves just how much can be achieved when intelligent design, quality build and rigorous development come together.

Highly commended – Axopar 45 Cross Cabin

With its stepped hull, sliding wet bar, vast sunroofs, two-part side doors and fold-down bulwarks, this is a fast, versatile adventure boat.

Sportscruisers up to 45ft

Bavaria SR36 ,  Dale Classic 37 ,  Jeanneau DB43 ,  Marex 330 Scandinavia

Winner – Marex 330 Scandinavia

The Marex 330 is full of ideas that directly upgrade your life on the water. There’s a fold-down bench at the aft swim platform and hidden fender slots beneath the side decks. There are aft and side doors, plus a mix of sunroofs and sunshades, so you can tweak the conditions to your needs.

In fact, with an aft curtain that wraps around the cockpit, you could easily use this boat as a four-season cruising machine. But it doesn’t stop there. The cockpit is deep and sociable for large dayboating parties and the saloon dinette uses a pop-out stool and reversing co-pilot bench to make best use of the space.

But the fore and aft dining zones also convert into double berths. And that means you can add another two beds to the forward double and the low-slung mid-cabin and sleep up to eight at a time.

Under way, the 330 makes a mockery of its restrained looks with plenty of poke, outstanding poise and pinpoint handling. You can spec it with single or twin V-drives or sterndrives.

And a beautiful helm position with multiple adjustment points, a wide overhead sunroof, a skipper’s side door and the option of joystick control makes single-handed helming an absolute breeze.

Highly commended – Dale Classic 37

Designed by celebrated Dale stalwart, Arthur Mursell, the new four-berth Classic 37 is built like a tank, styled like a work of art and equipped with a delightfully soft-riding semi-displacement hull.

Sportscruisers over 45ft

Fairline Phantom 65 ,  Pardo 60 Endurance ,  Riva 68 Diable ,  Sunseeker Predator 65

Winner – Fairline Phantom 65

This may be Fairline’s first attempt at a sportsfly design but you’d never guess it from the way it looks, performs and feels. With those sleek, flowing lines, it strikes the perfect balance between elegance and sportiness, yet somehow still manages to pack in up to four cabins below deck and masses of sociable living space inside and out.

Even the flybridge itself, while compact by Squadron standards, has plenty of secure seating, sunpads and a proper wet bar, as well as a comprehensive outside helm station.

However, all of this would count for little if the driving experience failed to live up to Fairline’s usual high standards. Thankfully, it’s even better than we had anticipated, delivering effortless acceleration up to a top speed of 38 knots, responsive handling and the kind of refined, long-legged cruising that feels perfectly in keeping with that other legendary Phantom built by Rolls-Royce motor cars.

Last but by no means least, those impressive dynamic characteristics are backed up by sound practical thinking, a beautifully finished interior and reassuringly solid build quality.

As we said in our original test, the Phantom 65 really does feel like it offers the best of both worlds with the looks and driving characteristics of a traditional sportscruiser but also the comfort and practicality of a flybridge.

Flybridges up to 60ft

Absolute 56 ,  Beneteau Swift Trawler 48 ,  Galeon 500 Fly ,  Leopard 46 Powercat ,  Prestige M48

Winner – Galeon 500 Fly

The Galeon 500 Fly is a supremely innovative boat. Up at the helm, push-button windows aid ventilation and a rotating seat integrates the driver with the starboard bench and the rest of the upper saloon guests.

There’s a pleasantly sociable helm on the flybridge too, with forward sunbeds and a wraparound lounge, plus a port wet bar and a huge dining space aft.

And back down on the bow, a big triangular dining area with comfy backrests provides all kinds of convertibility, including incline control for the sunlounger and sliding forward benches for a larger party.

Down below, there’s masses of natural light from oversized windows and skylights. But it’s the aft part of the main deck that really stands out. The port balcony folds down so you can perch on a stool and take advantage of the galley’s inside-outside bar.

On the other side, the saloon opens up, enabling the settee to reverse and face out over its own terrace. And in the aft cockpit, a spinning carousel enables you to face in whichever direction you choose.

In short, with its combination of rotating seats, twin terraces and inside-outside zones, the 500 Fly is more rewarding than any other boat in its sector.

Highly commended – Prestige M48

In addition to three double cabins, each with its own bathroom and staircase, the Prestige M48 provides a stupendous amount of day space and a drive as novice-friendly as any you will see.

Flybridges over 60ft

Absolute 60 Fly ,  Azimut 68 ,  Numarine 22 XP ,  Sirena 68 ,  Sirena 78

Winner – Sirena 68

It’s hard to believe that Sirena Yachts has only been making motor boats under its own name for a little over five years but with plenty of prior experience building high-quality motor yachts for Azimut, and the talents of world-renowned yacht designers German Frers and Cor D. Rover to assist them, it has gone from zero to hero in record time.

We tested two new models in 2022 alone, both of which made it through to our shortlist. But it’s the 68 which we feel is the more rounded package, offering the perfect balance of size, style, ability and price.

That starts with a modern yet elegant design that manages to pack a high-quality, high-volume interior into a surprisingly sleek exterior.

Then there’s the robust semi-displacement hull with its category A RCD rating that is just as happy batting aside heavy seas at displacement speeds as it is hoovering up the miles at 25 knots.

That low-speed comfort and stability also plays into the current trend for fuel efficient passage-making, giving a safe cruising range of almost 1,000nm at 9 knots. The result is a wonderfully capable all-rounder that is perfectly in tune with today’s needs at a price that belies its quality.

Highly commended – Absolute 60 Fly

With its versatile deck spaces, vast windows, innovative layout and refined IPS performance, Absolute’s latest flybridge is as comfortable as it is stylish.

Custom Yachts

Sponsored by The Moorings

Azimut Grande 26M ,  Grand Banks 85 ,  Pearl 95 ,  Sunseeker 90 Ocean

Winner – Sunseeker 90 Ocean

We don’t mind admitting that this was the hardest of all the categories to pick a winner in. We could make a case for any one of these finalists winning. However, after much debate we decided to give it to the one we felt was most in tune with what today’s buyers are looking for.

The Sunseeker Ocean 90 has it all: acres of versatile deck spaces packed with innovative solutions like the X-TEND seating; an intimate connection with the sea thanks to the vast sea-level beach club, glass transoms and bulwarks; masses of storage space for tenders, water toys and cruising gear; a wonderfully luxurious interior that makes full use of the unusually wide beam; and a hull that feels very nearly as agile and sea-kindly as some of its overtly sportier siblings.

The fact that this all fits comfortably into a craft with an LOA of 89ft is all the more remarkable, enabling it to offer the same space and luxury as much longer boats but without the associated running costs.

However, the biggest achievement of all is that despite its extra beam and volume and a brand-new hull shape, it still manages to look, feel and drive like a true Sunseeker.

Highly commended – Grand Banks 85

With its slippery hull shape, carbon fibre superstructure and IPS drives, the new GB85 is exceptionally fuel efficient but still just as seaworthy, stylish and beautifully built as its much heavier predecessors.

Judges’ Special Award

Sponsored by Sleipner

Winner – Pearl Yachts

From its humble beginnings in 1998, when a former yacht captain teamed up with a local businessman to launch a stylish new range of aft cabin craft, Pearl Yachts has never shied away from doing things differently.

In the face of vastly bigger, better resourced competition, it has consistently managed to defy the odds, building spacious, cleverly packaged craft with the style and quality to match.

While many of its competitors have been bought, sold or even fallen by the wayside over the intervening years, Pearl Yachts’ small but enthusiastic management team, led by its founder and managing director Iain Smallridge with the backing of its owners Tony and Margaret Whittaker, steered Pearl Yachts through the tough times and continued to invest in new product.

The introduction of world-class designers, Bill Dixon and Kelly Hoppen, in 2012 has ensured that its latest range of yachts are as fresh and innovative as ever, while maintaining the quality-to-price ratio for which they are renowned.

Now boasting a thoroughly modern range of stylish flybridge cruisers from 62ft to 95ft, including a brand new 72ft model and an 82ft project currently in development, Pearl Yachts enters its 25th year in business looking stronger and fitter than ever.

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